Tummy Tuck with Upper Thigh Lipo.

Well I am 5 ft 5 in, 173 pounds.48 YO, three...

17 Aug 2013

4 months pre

Well I am 5 ft 5 in, 173 pounds.48 YO, three girls, ages 31, 29, 28, with 5 1/2 grandchildren. Had a breast lift with augmentation 4 years ago and now ready to get my stomach under control. A few more pounds to go, I carry a lot of muscle so 173 pounds on me is still a size 8 in jeans. (I've been a size 12-14 for most of my adult life. so I have more than enough skin to go around...and around) I am so excited for this to be done that I spend all of my free time reading the posts on Real Self. You ladies are so inspirational(even the ones that don't go as expected). I have already had my consult and have put down the deposit with my PS(the same one who did my boobs). Definitely not looking forward to the drains(ugh!), remember them from the previous surgery! I will post pics when it gets closer to D day.

Pictures finally.

9 Oct 2013

2 months pre

I have to thank JOYD1984 for giving me the courage to go ahead and post pictures. I'm terribly modest otherwise. As you can see, I also had an appendectomy but they were able to do it with laperoscopic surgery, so I only have the two small incision marks and the third one was through the belly button. My hysterectomy was through the inside, thank God, so no scar from that. I have a lot of stretch marks because I gained about 50 pounds with my first kid and I was only 16 myself so that's real hard on a 5 foot 4 kids body. You can almost see the tattoo and thankfully that's coming off with the surgery. I say all the time that if I could just pull all of my loose skin up under my boobs, the lower half wouldn't look so bad. It would even pull up my thighs. I sometimes look like I'm just in the process of a slow melting. I have lost another 5 pounds since I took these pictures but of course not much of it was in the middle. I'm going to have to stop losing because it's starting to show in my boobs and with implants, that's just not a good thing. I know that with clothes on I probably won't have super drastic changes after the surgery, but, and here's the biggest deal to me, when you stand up it's not so bad, but when you sit down all of that skin just sort of piles up in your lap or over your waistband. As illustrated by the fifth picture. I don't care if I am the only one who has to see that, I hate it. Even on a day when I feel pretty good about the weight loss, that view is all it takes to make me feel LARGE again. And exercise does no good. Atkins can't help it either. That skin is all I have left to remind me about the bad eating decisions in my past life and I want it gone. Period. You would think that after having a hysterectomy you would actually have a smaller stomach? Not so, your intestines just move into the empty space and take up residence and cause you nothing but new neighbor grief. Then every book you read tells you that if your waist measurement is the same as your hips and/or over 35 inches, you are grossly obese. They don't give a rat's a$$ if it's mostly skin and crappy muscle control from multiple pregnancies. So according to the charts, I am obese. But if I can get rid of the skin, voila, not obese. Seriously? I'm sorry, got the soapbox out there for a few minutes. Back in the closet now. Love Y'all. Happy healing!

18 more days! Not nervous anymore just wish it would get here already. Been getting used to the recliner and setting up my preps

1 Dec 2013

16 days pre

Yay.

Pre-op done.

12 Dec 2013

5 days pre

All paid up and pre-registered. It's getting real up in here! So excited! One more week for us December 18th girls. Making a list and checking it twice. Ready to roll!

shower chair at last!

16 Dec 2013

1 day pre

Yep, went ahead and sprang for the chair. It's more than a bit ironic when you fork over 8500 dollars like you got it like that, and then you don't want to drop an extra 40 to keep your a$$ off the shower floor! Seriously I almost cheaped out of the chair. And you don't know this but my husband is a mid thigh amputee and he has to get in the shower with me to bathe and wash my hair. If I faint, we're double screwed(and fainting right after surgery when you first start getting around is a definite probability). Well I' ll try to post tomorrow night with my last minute insecurities. Be good.

almost there

16 Dec 2013

1 day pre

Well I spent the last two hours cleaning and building my nest. Everything I might need in easy reach of the recliner including a stick to turn the light on and off with. Plus cords for my electronics and a trash can next to it in case of sudden onset projectile vomiting. It's not like I can just jump up and make a mad dash for the toilet. One more day of work and then I'm done. Can't wait. I'm so burned out I'd take almost any excuse for some time off. See you 2 morrow night. Be good.

26.3 hours to go.

17 Dec 2013

1 day pre

Yep, it's nearly here. Can't sleep so so taking a minute to breathe. I took a sharpie and wrote on all the ingredients for my protein shake so that my husband will know how to make them for me. Do you realize how often we use run-on sentences in our everyday conversations? Sorry, off track for a minute there. Anyways, this is the last day of the world as I know it and I've spent the last several weeks in front of the mirror moving my skin and fat around trying to get a mental image of what it will look like. Not an easy thing to do with all that "fluff"in the way. But since I'm not the "exposing myself" type, I guess I' m the only opinion that really matters in the long run. A confident woman is automatically a more attractive woman, or so I've read many times. Y'all be good and I'll "see" you tonight.

1 day post flat sie.

19 Dec 2013

1 day post

Everything went great. Only hurts when I have to get up to use the restroom. I'm sure glad I have the pain pump too. Taking the pills religiously and ibuprofen on the other four hour mark. No problems sleeping because I have a full time Ambien prescription. I haven't even attempted to look at it. I still haven't eaten much because this CG is compressing me so much. A banana 4 breakfast and a scrambled egg 4 supper. A little nausea but thank God no puking yet. Trying not to cough because the tubing of the throat leaves it pretty rough. My post op is in the morning at ten and I'm not looking forward to getting in and out of the car. The recliner is bad enough. But on the whole I think it's going great. A little better every hour. Doing the Lifetime Movie channel all day. Be good. I'll check in 2moro.

drain free at last. no problems. all stitches except Belly button are removed. go back next Monday for those. feeling pretty goo

23 Dec 2013

5 days post

Yay.

good morning fine people

24 Dec 2013

6 days post

Having a good morning. Got up, made eggs and toast and took a shower by myself. Of course he was standing outside the shower just in case. But still, baby steps. Started a load of laundry. New fabric for a new quilt. Can't wait til I can get around good enough to get started on it. In the meantime I'm just doing a lot of reading and resting and tv watching. This CG has taught me a new kind of respect for our female ancestors. No wonder they were always fainting and having the vapors. They were oxygen deprived! Maybe even blame the migraines on it too. Miserable! Mine runs from just above the knee to just under the bra strap line. My ribs are totally compressed. Going to stop the RX pills except at night. Over the counter should be good for daytime. Trying to get up and around more frequently too to help with the water retention and swelling. Finally had to lose the bra because it was digging into the swelling so bad it was excruciating.

day and night of firsts!

26 Dec 2013

8 days post

Slept in my own bed last night! Yay! I love my recliner and I'm so glad we got it, but nothing feels like your own bed. Ever. Slept on my side, no extra pillows, just normal. Then this morning I was able to take a whole shower with no sitting down breaks. I even blow dried my hair! Of course I was pooped afterwards but we're going to try leaving the house today and eating lunch somewhere in town. Maybe even go to the fabric store and check on sales. We'll have to play it by ear. Don't want to over do it so soon. Happy healing every one. Hope y'all had a great Christmas.

2 week post op

2 Jan 2014

15 days post

Well it's been two weeks. Seems like a month. Went shopping all day yesterday and there is still quite a bit of swelling. It's actually the worst right above the CG. My scar is a little high because we were trying to get as much of the slack out of my thigh as possible without having to cut the skin so we kind of pulled up the bottom and pulled down on the top to meet in the middle. But since I'm not the bikini type anyways. I really don't care if my scar shows above my panties either since only two people ever see that anyways. I'm good with that. I started the silicone strips on Monday. You can see the lines above and below the scar where they have been. My scar is also kind of odd because we made sure to catch my entire tattoo in it. So far pretty pleased with the results. I know from the boob job that it takes several months for everything to settle back in to it's own spot and look natural. Can't wait! Very exciting times! Happy healing!

6 weeks post op

31 Jan 2014

1 month post

Looks good. Feels good. Love it!

first purchase

31 Jan 2014

1 month post

Well we were cutting through Dillards on the way to the Chocolate factory, and we saw dresses and I said "one of these days I'm going to get a "little black dress". So my husband hooks over and I follow and we see a couple that are basically my style and I say "well why don't I try a couple on" and picked out the first two we came across. Love them both. Both look fantastic(even with my black socks on) and we end up with both of the! I will probably never have an occasion to wear them but when you have as hard of a time finding clothes as I do, you have to get it when it FITS!

2 months post op.

18 Feb 2014

2 months post

Well I am now 2 months post and I think it looks great. No more CG no more spanx. No swell hell. Just business as usual. Sometimes I even forget until I get in front of the mirror or my pants slide almost off and I have to keep pulling them up. I really can't say enough about how happy I am that I was able to do this. Anyone who's still on the fence, please really consider it. Not because I say so but because self confidence is a real morale booster and it helps you overcome your insecurities. A lot! Not that it is a cure all for body image issues but it surely makes a huge difference. I walk taller and don't try to disappear into the background all the time like I have in the past. I know that we are harder on ourselves than others are but our opinion should be the most important to us. Anyways, getting off the soapbox now. Be good and heal well!

3 months post op

20 Mar 2014

3 months post

Well it's been three months and quite a ride! Doing great and feeling great. I've never been so happy I did something in my life. Hope everyone is doing well.

4 months post...well almost.

13 Apr 2014

4 months post

Well it will be 4 months this week. I have my last doctor appt on Wednesday. This has been an incredible journey and I wouldn't change a thing. I love my results but more than that this has been exactly what I needed to get me to be more conscious of my weight and what I'm stuffing in my face! I guess when you drop this kind of money for surgery and you know you won't ever be able to do that again, you try harder to keep it that way. I know I have. I hope all you flat siders are doing well and all you "heading for the flat siders" keep up the momentum. Be good.

18 month mini update

14 Jun 2015

1 year post

It's been 18 months nearly. I thought I'd do a short check in. I've had a question about my scar so I thought I'd post a couple of pics. Still loving it and would do it again in a heartbeat.